Security and Prosperity
by jlcleaumus
Summary: A newsjournalist interviews the Emperor and Darth Vader.


Author: jlcleamus 

Title: Security and Prosperity-Interviews with the Emperor and Lord Vader

Era: Between the Trilogies

Summary: An excerpt from an article written about the state of the Empire.

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Disclaimer: This is a fictional article about fictional characters (courtesy and property of Mr. Lucas). It is in no way a spoof of actual political figures or events, and no political connotations, agendas, or hidden meanings should be derived from it. It is purely entertainment, nothing more. Thank you.

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Security and Prosperity: Interviews with the Empire Part 1-With the Emperor on Naboo Published in Vol. 325, Issue 19, of _Galactic News and Business_ Quarterly Magazine.

By: Wob Boodward

Another year, another Empire Day. The novelty is gone now, along with, perhaps, the thrill of the whole concept behind it. New Holidays are declared everyday by self-important governments, whether broad or local. It is, however, a rare occasion in our lifetimes when we see one that transcends their transparent origins, nominal announcements, to penetrate deep within our collective souls and fuses together with the identity of our society. Whether Empire Day has accomplished that yet, of course, is still up in the air.

It is the tenth celebration of holiday, though, and efforts to mark it across the Galaxy have been accelerated with a renewed vigor which, ostensibly demonstrates, the malaise that has accompanied the day the last few years. Gone is the sense of urgency and danger that accompanied the first years of the celebration. The Separatists are but ancient history now, the old systems incorporated firmly into the Galactic Empire. The Jedi are now virtually extinct, save for the few insurgencies that spring up in various outer-rim colonies (we have Lord Vader to thank for taking care of such incidents). All this brings us to the inevitable question: What use is a Patriotic holiday in a time of peace and stability?

Located in the Mid-Rim, Naboo is as different from Coruscant as the Sith are from the Jedi. The air is fresh, the surrounding meadows and rivers are subtle but complete in their natural beauty, and the people here hold a rather antiquated, yet charming sense of tradition and protocol. Hard to imagine that such a planet is the birthplace of an Empire, or rather, its Emperor.

I had the privilege to spend the tenth Empire Day with the Emperor himself, at his sprawling mansion on the outskirts of Theed, the planet's capital. Rarely acknowledged anymore by his actual name in favor of his current, and lifetime, title, the former Senator and Supreme Chancellor Palpatine granted our magazine and myself special access as he returns to his native home.

The Emperor admits that it's been years since he's been back. "Such is the life of an Emperor," he remarks as we walk through one of the estate's gardens, still lovely and full of life despite the lack of an active maintenance in the past decade. "In reality, you are sacrificing away your personal life, your identity, for the betterment of society and the Galaxy as a whole. I would like nothing more than to spend the rest of my days here on Naboo, tending to my flowers and strolling by its waterfalls, but to do so would be an act of negligence on my part."

It is hard to imagine the Emperor as negligent. It is also hard to perceive him as someone deprived of power. Twenty-three years in charge of a Galaxy will tend to do that to public opinion. Yet, the complaint these days is that the Emperor is less visible than ever, rarely making any speeches or appearances anymore. Some allege that the venerable Palpatine has become senile, leaving most of the administrative work to his administrators and the bureaucracy that he has so despised throughout most of his political career. Other less visible critics charge that the exalted one is embarrassed of his physical appearance.

"I suppose," muses the Emperor, "that I should be proud of the scars I suffered from the betrayal of the Jedi. That I wear them as a symbol and a remnant of those trying times." He sighs. "Do I wish that I look like what I once did? Of course. I had regal air about me back in those days. Today, I look in the mirror and I can't help but see the persona of, perhaps, a plotting villain. Such is the price of vision and duty, I guess. I will say this clearly though. My physical appearance has nothing to do with the quantity of my public appearances."

Then why the lack of them?

"Less to do, I suppose. I have brought security back to the Galaxy. The Empire has brought stability to our worlds. It is the Empire, and not its Emperor, that deserves the spotlight. The Empire is a…smooth machine that can maintain itself in most occasions." He pauses, and then adds, "That's not to say that it does not need a steady hand guiding it, which is what I provide."

I bring up the unavoidable question of his age. Was retirement a sentiment he ever considered?

"Not in the least bit. Less to do now is not an accurate indicator of the future. History moves in cycles. There will always be periods of peace buffeted by periods of instability, and though my duties include a temporary reprieve from crisis, the Empire, myself included, must be prepared to face future threats."

What of Lord Vader, groomed in the last decade to be the heir apparent to the Empire.

"I have no qualms whatsoever about handing over power to Lord Vader. He is the most competent and skilled man in this Galaxy, and when the time comes, he will be a great Emperor. I guess I personally don't feel like I am ready to let go of this position yet."

Why not?

"Power is a funny thing, Mr. Boodward. Those who gain it invariably flinch at losing it. It can be addictive sometimes, almost like a drug. My brain tells me that the Empire would be in good hands if ever I were to hand it off, but my heart begs me to postpone that process for just awhile longer.

"Power is all in how you use it, I suppose. How much you use it, and what you use it for. In the last years of the Republic and the early years of the Empire I had to exercise it frequently and deliberatively. I believe that the current peace is a dividend of those past efforts."

It is night now, and I am glad to be away from the pompous and extravagant fireworks, reenactments, and celebrations that must be gracing the surface of Imperial Center/Coruscant. There is no need for such demonstrations of loyalty at the native home of the Emperor. Instead, the Emperor and I relax in our hoverchairs, enjoying the scenery before us, the cool night breeze, and an elegant glass of fine Shurran wine. As we look beyond the horizon and into the future, the Emperor shares with me the issues that will define the next ten standard years.

"We have security. In fact, our security is very much secure. The issue now, from the Empire's point of view, is to enjoy that security and to use it to achieve prosperity. Prosperity on a macro level, as a whole, will guarantee prosperity for each one of the Empire's citizens."

Where does the Empire go from here, I ask. Is there any more room for growth?

"The Empire is a dynamic organism. It must always change, or it will die. Of course there is room for growth. There are many territories that we have not yet explored, planets whose resources we haven't utilized, the list goes on. But we will continue to grow, for it is our mission. The Galactic Economic Index increased by 6.7 in the past standard year, and Consumer Confidence indexes are at a twenty-year high. Such figures can always be higher."

What does this mean, then, for businesses, investors, and employees? I bring up the Empire's dissolution of the Trade Federation, Commerce Guild, and Banking Clan ten years ago. No similar organizations have taken its place. In fact, I point out to the Emperor, the government's centralization of many sectors of the economy have left some academics comparing it to the old Corellian Socialist Models.

"Oh no," laughs the Emperor politely. "Such comparisons are dead wrong. The Empire is very much pro-business and pro-competition. We had no choice to dissolve the organizations you mentioned not because they were successful businesses, but because they had taken on sovereign powers they had no business taking on. They were a threat to any centralized Galactic government, and they were suffocating other local planetary businesses and stifling competition as a whole.

Don't forget, such organizations were responsible for financing the Separatist movement during the Clone Wars, and the Trade Federation murdered millions in its attempted invasion of this very planet.

Of course, the Empire still has to control certain sectors and industries in order to give them a running start, competition wise, but overall, this new system is much better than the old one."

So what should the average citizen do to ensure their own prosperity.

"Respect the law, and work hard. Remember, productivity is the key to a rising economy and is the best weapon to combat Galactic inflation. If you have extra money in your coffers, consider investing in H-TIS Empire backed and managed Mutual Funds, or five or ten-year Empire Bonds. We provide a high coupon rate for absolutely no risk; obviously, there is no chance that the Empire will ever default on our debts. And your contributions will go to a great cause."

And that cause would be?

"Operation D-Star. I cannot impart you the exact details of what it is, but the operations success will do much to improve areas of our government such as security, diplomacy, as well as the final elimination of the bureaucracy."

As I end the Holiday with a solid night of sleep in the nearby Naboo Royal Palace, I remind myself how privileged I am to have spent Empire Day with the Emperor himself, and how many of the less-fortunate citizens of our Galaxy are still wallowing in poverty and struggling to feed their families even on this glorious holiday.

"Prosperity for all," the Emperor assures me, "is a goal that will be achieved in our lifetimes."

And when that happens, I will know for certain in my heart that everyone will be able to enjoy a Happy Empire Day.

Wob Boodward

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Coming up in the next issue: My conversation with Darth Vader, and a conclusive answer to the age old rumor-"Was Lord Vader a Jedi?" 


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